Its not the country, its the stag. Stag from the Sambar deer is beautiful, dense, with a small pithy core. Just right for knife grips. I first learned this from Randall Made Knives. To this day Randall use Sambar for stag handles. The quality of Randalls stag has declined since the Sambar ban. I used to assume Id get a great stag handle from them.
The story was that Indian kids got egg money by gathering naturally shed stag horn for resale. That was probably true when demand was low. India banned Sambar stag exports as a conservation measure. I expect that kids after egg money have been replaced by poachers after quick money.
Yes, you can use stag from other cervidae. Europe used stag before the East India Company. Many knives use scales or rounds from European and American breeds.
If you dont want material from un-American sources, you should check this out, direct from Case:
THE BONE USED TO MAKE KNIFE HANDLES AT CASE CUTLERY COMES FROM THE SHIN OF ZEBU CATTLE FOUND IN BRAZIL. BONE FROM THIS MAMMAL IS SUITABLE AS IT IS LARGER IN SIZE, MORE DENSE, AND CONTAINS LESS MARROW THAN CATTLE FOUND IN OTHER COUNTRIES. WHEN THE BONE ARRIVES AT OUR PRODUCTION FACILITY IN BRADFORD, PA, IT IS LEVELED AND CUT INTO SMOOTH, SQUARE SLABS. SOMETIMES THESE SLABS ARE KEPT IN THIS FORM AND USED FOR SMOOTH BONE HANDLES, WHILE OTHER TIMES THE SLABS ARE JIGGED DURING PRODUCTION.
Note the same considerations in either material. Large, dense, small core. Unless GEC has discovered a new cattle species, they use Zebu shins.
Does Zebu Shins sound like a rock band to anyone else?
. This is my only stag knife, a case peanut that is with me every day. 
